Manufacturers like GM and Stanley Black and Decker are creating this platform for innovation by deploying open standards–based Internet Protocol (IP) technologies that converge their enterprise and plant floor networks. The convergence enables tight integration of operation technology (OT) and information technology (IT), creating a flexible and scalable platform to:

Speaking of security, it is cited by most manufacturers as the key barrier to IoT adoption and innovation. The prospect of connecting millions, potentially billions of sensors, actuators, motors, gauges, valves, and machines with Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) applications like MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems) and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) applications can make VP of Supply Chains, Operation Managers and the like want to go back to the old island of automation model that Chet cited in his interview.

As daunting as security may be to innovation and IoT adoption. The skills workforce gap in the industry is the biggest threat and concern for manufacturing executives and managers. ThomasNet conducted a survey of over 1200 line of business manufacturing professionals . The survey cited that Generation Y (18-32 years old) employees will make up 75 percent of the workforce by 2025, but three-quarters of manufacturers report that 25 percent or less of their workforce are in the Generation Y age group.

Cisco recognizes that new skills and education are the missing link required to drive innovation and realize the value afforded by IoT in the manufacturing industry.

To prepare and attract the next generation manufacturing workforce Cisco has launched the Cisco Industrial Networking Specialist Certification for information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) professionals in the manufacturing, process control, and oil and gas industries who install, maintain, and troubleshoot industrial network systems. This certification ensures candidates have the foundational skills to manage and administer networked industrial control systems. It provides plant administrators, control system engineers and traditional network engineers with an understanding of the networking technologies needed in today’s connected plants and enterprises.

What are your major barriers to IoT Adoption? Security, transitional workforce, ….? In the meantime, be sure to visit the Industrial IP Advantage website for more information around how you can leverage IP technologies to accelerate your path to IoT value.

Ed Note: As we head off to the IoT World forum, we have the honor of aGuest Post By Paula Puess. Paula Puess has over 25 years of experience in both the IT and Manufacturing industries. She is currently the Global Market Development Manager, Visualization & Information software for Rockwell Automation.

It’s understandable if IT professionals reading this blog accused industrial manufacturing as being a technology laggard. Some hear “manufacturing” and immediately think “labor intensive,” “isolated operations,” and “dangerous and dirty.”

Not exactly a cutting-edge image.

So, what perspective does Rockwell Automation – the world’s largest company dedicated to industrial automation and information – offer IT experts from around the globe during the inaugural Internet of Things World Forum? Read More »

An introduction to how Cisco Industrial POE can simplify electrical wiring, increase device portability, and lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). This is available on the Cisco IE3000 and IE2000 Series products now.

IP devices are becoming Ubiquitous, and the Internet of things is upon us, and predictions are for billions of devices connected over the Internet of Everything. So, what does this mean in terms of connectivity? Will everything be wireless? Clearly not for several reasons, including up-stream and downstream high speed connectivity with data centers and storage, and issues of reliability in harsh environments. However, many devices such as sensors will be wireless, and they’ll need to be back-hauled back to the data center or control areas.

So those sensors and devices, which may or not be battery powered, will need to connect to a wired infrastructure of some sort. Many will need a wire-line, especially in the world of manufacturing, energy and utilities. That’s where Power over Ethernet, or PoE, is proving invaluable. Read More »

Yuta Endo, Cisco Connected Industries Product Manager, discusses the newest version of the IE2000 range of products that addresses the growing trends of Industrial and Enterprise Network convergence; connectivity across Industrial equipment; and the heightened security concerns that are burgeoning.

Yuta talks about the product features and benefits, such as support for IEEE standards such as the IEEE 1588 PTP v2 Motion Control standard.

The product is available now for customers in the Manufacturing, Oil and Gas, Mining, Transportation and Energy industries, and is already in use by many Cisco manufacturing customers.

Recently the product line added Power over Ethernet (PoE), so that both the IE2000 and IE3000 ranges have PoE in both the fixed and modular versions. More on that in my next blog!

You probably saw my earlier blog telling you that The Cisco Connected Industries Group (CIG) were at Cisco Live!, and I just got word that over 3,000 attended over the four days in Melbourne. There was strong interest in follow-up meetings by over a hundred folks who were keenly interested in mining and Oil and Gas, in addition to Manufacturing. Not surprising really, as the region has a solid industry in these three areas. Many folks were very interested in the 819 for 4G mobile assets (think earth movers and that kind of thing), and the IE2000 was well received.

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